Direction signal or indicator



s. JANSON. v DIRECTION SIGNALVOR INDICATOR.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, I920. ,38Q,4=79, PatentedJune 7, 1921.

2 SHEER-SHEET].-

S. IANSGN.

DIRECTION SIGNAL 0R INDICATOR.

APPLICATION min NOV. I0, 1920; 1,380,479.

Patented June 7, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' rection the chauffeur of the forwar I the county of Wayne 'ing drawings.

S A'EE'E' QFFHQE.

SIGMUND JANSON, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN. I

DIRECTION SIGNAL 0R INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

Application filed November 10, 1920. Serial No. 423,125.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SIGMUND JANsoN, a citizen of Norway, residing at Detroit, in and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Signals or Indicators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompany- This invention relates to an improved direction signal or indicator, and an object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind consisting of an indicator somewhat resembling a hand and particularly adapted for use in connectionwith vehicles generally and especially the motor driven truck type adapted to be so manipulated as to indicate the slow down of the vehicle or whether or not the chaufieur intends to turn to the right or to the left.

Anotherobject embodies an indicator or directionhand, adapted to be pivotally suspended upon the front part of the body of the vehicle, truck or the like, in combination with an actuator, for turning the indicator or hand from its hidden position to a slow down or stop horizontal position or to an up or down inclined position to inclicate a left or right turn, to indicate to the chauffeurjof the vehicle in the rear the did vehicle intends to take. 1

'Still another object embodies a supporting plate having a spindle or journal securely mounted thereon and on which the indicator or hand is pivotally mounted, the indicator or hand at its pivotal point being provided with a curved flange suitably grooved to be engaged by a pull cable connected tothe actuator whereby the hand or indicator may be thrown to the various positions aforesaid.

Still another object consists in the provision of means for reinforcing or bracing the hand or indicator with relationto the sleeve which is mounted upon the. spindle or journal. l e

A further object involves the mounting of the hand or indicator on the spindle or journal securely, and in such'wise as to preventtheft or unauthorized removal of the indicator or hand from the vehicle.

A still further object embodies an, improved actuator consisting of a casing, and a lever pivoted therein provided with a ratchet connection with the flange of the casing ofthe actuator, for holding the lever in erable, it is obvious that are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

The invention and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view-showing the applicatlon of the improved hand or indicator as applied to the body of a truck of a motor driven type, and also showing the means for moving or positioning the indicator or hand in one of thepositions heretofore named,

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in eleva tion of the indicator or hand showingthe same in a slow down or stop position in full to a more practical comprises further features lines and disclosing the indicator in righti and left turn positions in dotted lines,

ig. 3 is an edge view showing the pivotal mounting of the indicator or hand in section,

' ig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. J

Fig. 6 is a detail view in elevation of the pulley 27 and its bracket.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a plate which is adapted to be bolted to the side of thebody of a truck or other vehicle by means of the bolts 2, the nuts thereof being located on the inner face of the side of the body. The inner face of this plate 1 is provided with a depression 3 so that the plate adjacent its marginal portion engages the side of the body. The central has an opening 4, one end of which has a beveled counter-sink 5. The openingt is formed through a boss 6 which is concentric with the plate and extends laterally. A spindle 7 is provided, and one end has a reduced extension 8, there being a shoulder 9 caused to be formed by the provision of the reduced extension 8. -This extension 8 engages the opening 4: of the plate 1 and the end of the extension swaged or other;

portion of the plate-1 Fig. 4c is an edge view of the actuator; and v 10 from opposite pers toward its opposite ends.

. 21in the guard 16.

indicator is in use,

wise headed so as to engage and conform to the bevel mounting the spindle 7 relatively rigid with respect to the plate 1. The other end of the spindle 7 also has a reduced extension 7 which is'swaged as indicated at 7 so as to the spindle 7 also has a reduced extension 7 of a washer or plate 7 thereby holding the sleeve hereinafter referred to on the spindle so that the same may rotate. A sleeve 10 is journaled upon the spindle 7 and is provided with. a circular flange 11. The sleeve faces of the flange 11 ta The sleeve 16 has a heavy wall and constitutes a hub for the flange and particularly the hand or indicator. The hand or indicator 12 is constructed from sheet metal and its pivoted end has an opening 13 through which the larger end of the hub or the sleeve 10 engages. The indicator or hand is elongated and its pivoted end is semi-circular in form, and the marginal edge of the semi-circular portion has an over-turned flange 14, which engages a flange 15 of a guard 16 thereby securely connecting the guard to the pivoted endof the hand or indicator. This guard 16 moves adjacent the'plate 1, and acts as a protecting means for the sleeve or hub. Secured to the pivoted end of the indicator or hand is a cable or pull cord attaching device or bracket 17, which comprises the spaced ears or lugs 18, in bearings of which a pin 19 is secured.

A pull cord or cable 20 is attached to the pin 19 and engages a groove or depression By means of this groove the cable is guided and held in position with relation to the guard. 7 Secured at 22 to the plate 1 is a bracket 23 comprising the opposing plates 24 and 25, one engaging within the other. A journal pin 26 is mounted in bearings of the plates 24 and 25, and mounted upon the pin 26 is a pulley 27 over which the pull cord or cable 20 passes.

or depression,

A coil spring 28 is mounted in surrounding relation to the hub or sleeve 10, and has one end attached to the plate 1 as at 29 and its other end attached to the pivoted end of the indicator or hand as at 30. This coil spring constitutes means to hold the indicator or hand in a downwardly inclined position as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the pull cord or cable is actuated, the: hand or indicator will be moved against the action of the spring. When the it extends normally horizontally, but if necessary the indicator may be disposed normally perpendicularly, either depending or extending upwardly, provided the indicator is visible from the rear. In other words .the indicator has a limited throw, and when the indicator assumes a position intermediate the limits of its throw,

whether the indicator is horizontal, or

counter-sink 5, thereby securelyperpendicular, a slow down indication is disclosed. An actuator is employed for pulling the cable or pull cord, which passes over the pulleys 31. This cable is connected to the actuator, and when the cable is allowed to slacken or loosen, or to be-let out, the indicator will move to an inclined downwardly extending position, thereby indicating that the chauffeur intends to turn to the right. However when a pulling action is imparted on the cable Or pull cord, the indicator will assume an'upwardly in; clined position, thereby signaling that the chaufieur intends to turn to the left.

The actuator comprises a casing 32, which is adapted for connection at 33 to any suitable part of the truck or motor vehicle, preferably to the side of the seat of the same, or upon the front dash, but more especially' on the steering wheel, so'that the actuator will be in a position to be easily engaged by the hand of the operator for moving the hand or indicator. A lever 34 is pivotally mounted in thecasing 32 as at 35, and connected to the lever is a coil tension spring 36. The spring is inturn connected at 37 to the casing so as to hold the lever 34 normally in such position as to hold the indicator or hand in a downwardly suspended direction. The lever 34 has a laterally extending handle or knob 38 to be engaged by the chaufieur for moving the lever. The lever 34 has a tooth 39 adapted to engage any one of the teeth 40 of a segmental portion of thecasing 32 so as to hold the lever 34 in different adjusted positions. The cable 20 where it passes through the casing or housing for the lever 34 engages over a pulley 41, and is attached at 42 to the lever. 105

From the foregoing in connection with the drawing it will be noted that when the lever 34 is manipulated, the indicator or handmay be moved either to a slow down or stop position, or to a right or left turn posi- 110 tion. i i

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is: V

1. In a direction indicator, a supporting plate having a spindle, a' sleeve rotatably 115 mounted on the spindle and provided with an annular flange, an indicator engaged with the sleeve and secured to the annular flange, a coiled spring surrounding the sleeve and having one end connected to the 120 indicator, its other" end to the plate, cooperating with and tensioning with the sleeve to hold the indicator, whereby the indicator may move to a downward inclined position under the action of the spring to signal a 125 turn to the right, a guard carried by the indicator and housing the spring, a rotating guide on the plate, and a pull medium engaging the rotating guide and connected to the guard, whereby the indicator may be 13( moved from its downward inclined position to an intermediate or slow down position, or to an upward inclined position indicating a left hand tur 2. In a direction indicator, a supporting plate having a spindle, a sleeve having an annular flange rotatabl mounted on the spindle, means connecte to the end of the spindle to prevent axial movement of the sleeve, an indicator engaged with the sleeve and secured to said annular flange, a coiled spring surrounding the sleeve having one end connected to the plate and its other end to the indicator, cooperating with and tensioning the indicator to cause the indicator to assume a downward inclined ffposition signaling a right hand turn, a guard connected to the indicator and housing the spring, said guard having an annular groove, a pull medium connected to the guard, a rotating guide in alinement with the groove, and receiving said pull medium, whereby upon impartlng a pulling action on the cable the indicator may assume a horizontal or slow down position, or an upward inclined position indicating a left hand turn.

3. An actuator for a direction indicator, comprising a casing of semi-circular formation, the arcuate wall of said casing having a slot, one edge of which is provided with teeth, a lever pivotally mounted in the easing and movable on a radius concentric with the arcuate wall of said casing, a pulley mounted in the casing, and a pull cable having one end adapted to be connected to an indicator and passing over the pulley and its other end connected to the lever, where-by upon moving the lever to a position intermediate the slot, the indicator may assume a slow down position, or when the lever is moved from one end of the slot to the opposite end the indicator may assume a position indicating a left hand turn, and a tension coiledspring in the housing having one end anchored thereto, and its other end connected to the lever, for returning the lever from a position adjacent one end of the slot, to an intermediate position or to a position adjacent the opposite end of the slot, allowing the indicator position, or to a hand turn.

In testimony whereof I signature.

position indicating a right hereunto aflix my SIGMUN D J ANSON to assume a slow down- 

